The summer sun sits high in the Big Sky Country as the world-class trout rivers of Southwest Montana come alive in July. Area fisheries buzz with hatching insects and the trout feed freely from sunrise to sunset. Montana fly fishing in July is tough to beat.
Everywhere around Bozeman fishes well through mid-July. First time anglers fishing Montana for their first time can’t go wrong this time of the year. Experienced anglers know that early morning starts puts them on the water, hours before any summer crowds.
Expect to find Salmonflies in the Lyon’s Bridge area on the upper Madison and upper Paradise Valley reaches of the Yellowstone River around July 4th. Hatches of Caddis, PMD, Yellow Sally, and Golden Stones will be thick during the late morning hours. This is the time of year when Chubby Chernobyl patterns are the daily standard.
The lower Madison and Jefferson Rivers start to warm by mid-July so anglers focus more on the Gallatin, lower Yellowstone, and upper Madison as the month progresses. Hatches begin to wane in late July, but Grasshoppers start to become active and quickly grab the attention of resident trout.
Early morning streamer sessions find Brown and Rainbow Trout feeding aggressively in fast-moving riffles on all of the rivers around Bozeman.
Nocturnal Golden Stones become prevalent in late July. Their exoskeleton shucks will cover rocks along the riverbank, but the sighting of the adults is rare. Fish a Chubby Chernobyl with a Brown and Tan Pat’s Rubberleg in a size 10 dropper on about 3’ of tippet on the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley.
River conditions are constantly changing through late June in Montana. Stable flows and clear water become the norm in July. Trout settle into their summer holding lies and the fly fishing experience is reliably consistent.
With over two decades of experience outfitting Bozeman fly fishing trips, the Fins and Feathers guide staff always looks forward to the primetime days of July. Anglers of all skill levels can expect consistent action on area rivers through late July on guided day trips.
Water temperatures begin to warm in late July, so we encourage anglers to plan on early morning starts as the heat of summer slows the afternoon action.
July is the most popular month of the year for Montana fly fishing trips and we encourage guests to book early to ensure availability. Reservations with the Fins and Feathers guide staff can be secured online, via e-mail, or by calling us at 1-406-468-5019.
Contact our experts for help with planning your Montana fly fishing trip, we can easily create a multi-day custom itinerary for your group.